It seems like the general conscensus these days is that, from a metaphysical perspective, the quartz types from this area are the most consistant Quartz when it comes to use in our community. Several reasons go into this but the most important one seems to be the mining processes used as well as the geological evolution of the area. the stuff from Mt Ida seems to stand out for its consistancy and ease of use.

Arkansas: The US as well as a few other countries have some of the world's strickest mining policies. Ethical mining goes a long way in a stone's potential energies and how easily these energies can be accessed. Also... Geological activity also influences a stone's properties... Arkansas geology has been much more constant than other areas of the world... leading to a certain amount of consistancy in a stone's energy from that area. Add to this that there are several miners in the Mt. Ida area who are environmentally motivated in what they are doing and the energies effected by these two points tend to be pretty constant.

Brazil: Brazil's mining policies vary greatly depending on the region as well as the individual. Brazil's government policies in regards to mining in man ways dont come close to the US and similar countries... add to this that it is almost entirely based on commercial viability and you can see how stone's energies can vary quite a bit in this regard.... now.. on the other side of the coin Brazil has a centuries old tradition of medicine men who work with Quartz crystals. To this day there are medicine men and women there who, when a new crystal pocket is found, are called in to "map the energies of individual crystals and well as interacting groups of crystals before they are removed from thier pockets in order to better understand the crystal's uses in the future as well as to keep companion crystals united to achive results which one crystal alone can not do". Once these crysals have been removed they are prized by the medicine men and women and kept close at hand... rarely even being shown to outsiders as it is believed that every time a crystal is viewed or touched by an outsider it deminishesits energies. These crystals rarely make it to the commercial market so for the most part are unknown to others. Even when one does make it into the market it is highly doubtful that the original energies mapped out by the medicine person will be shared with that individual. If one is lucky enough to have access to one of these crystals as well as the original info discovered by the medicine person you truely have in your posession a poweful ally. If you are even luckier to have been gifted with one of these crystals by the original medicine person who was called in to map the energies you have to realise that this stone will play a very important role in your journey and may well be a life companion. I'm lucky enough t have several of these in my life at thi time which came to me from one of these medicine men who directly mapped their energies while still in their pocket and they are the crystals I work with 95% of the time.

Brazil is and has been a very active area geologically including earthquakes and much more. This type of natural activity changes the energies of crystals on many levels and always for the good. Unfortunately many times we are not aware of these things unless we spend a lot of time with the crystal to discover its inner secrets.

So... unlike Arkansas crystals which are mined in much the same way and have undergone little if any alterations due to geological activity Bazil crystals go from one extreme to the other. This is why many times you will find some crystals from Brazil very different from others even though they have the same characteristics.

Brazil produces some of the most powerful crystals to be found but at the same time crystals from there can seem all but deviod of energies and may take a long time to open to you due to being blown out of the ground with dynomite with absolutely no concern for them or the environment.

Arkansas crystals, by their nature, rarely, but not never, reach either extreme and this is what has raised their appeal to our community.

On a side note... if by chance you do gain access to one of the crystals which has been mapped by a Brazilian medicine person be very careful as you proceed with it. You have become the guardian of a powerful entity and as such all work with it should never be taken lightly and experimentation wit it should only be done by someone vey familiar with stones and their energies.